Morgaine2005's Simblr

What You'll Find Here

I'm primarily a storyteller and a builder, which expresses itself in several ways:

Sims 4 Builds: I've been creating a ton of builds for a new save file, plus taking photos of old ones. If I can figure out how to safely share (and give credit for) builds using CC on the Gallery, then those will be shared. Until then, it's pictures-only.

Sims 4 Sims: CAS is not my favorite places to be, but I do enjoy styling my Sims. Expect me to post a lot of lookbooks and makeovers. Again, if I can figure out how to safely and simply share CC-enhanced Sims with credit, I'll be doing that.

Worldbuilding: I love worldbuilding, and I've thought a lot about the larger world of TS4 and SimNation might look like. Expect a lot of posts about the regions, politics, and religions of SimNation.

Stories: The save file I'm currently working on will be the setting for a story-focused neighborhood. But I can't start on that until I get the save file ready.

I've also created some mods with Mod Constructor. I'd need to get a lot more confident in their functionality and my ability to fix problems before I tried to share them. But you never know! I learned how to use Canva last week to make that title card. Maybe next month, I'll figure out how to hand-code and hand-update the mods I've made.

Everyday and Formal looks - Normie and Fairy.

Yet for all the unease and disquiet his life gives him ... he would not trade it for any other.

Indeed, why should he? Perhaps his pride blinds him to his faults, but he thinks that he, among all Fairies, is uniquely suited to his role and this burden. Active, Mystical, a Plant Lover - could there be any better combination of traits?

Athletic and PJs.

As for what he wants from this life - well. His first duty, of course, is to serve his people, all the Fairies of SimNation, but especially those of Innisgreen. (While his role carries no real political or even ceremonial power among the normies, it matters to the Fairies, and that is all that is necessary.) His second ...

Oberon really is a Family Sim when one gets down to it. He's Domestic, and he wants nothing more than to have a Successful Lineage.

Yes, he does hope Mara will one day follow in his footsteps.

Party and Swim.

And he won't pretend that his family life is always easy. Titania's desire for polyamory has been a challenge, but he loves his wife, and love will find a way. Mara is more concerned with running races than running Fairy life, but that's understandable for a child of her age. And then there are his in-laws.

He's reasonably sure his brother-in-law Robin isn't about to stick a knife in his back to take his position as Fairy King. He doubts Robin would want the job. But the family of Hermia, Robin's lady, is an entire mess of their own, and that mess could affect Oberon's family, and that will never do.

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

His blood family isn't much better. Though his parents live in Ondarion and his sibling Bottom in Gibbi Point, their drama will affect him. Bottom's drama especially. How on earth did they manage to get involved with Hermia's cousin and a member of the family Hermia's family is feuding with boggles Oberon's mind.

Ghostly Existence

While Jacobans certainly recognize that Ghosts exist, they do not believe that the Ghostly “life” state has much to offer a properly faithful and Watched Sim. Rather, a Sim who becomes a Ghost is only a Ghost because they have some sort of unfinished business. A Sim who finds themself a Ghost is exhorted to wrap up that business as quickly as possible so they can move on to that afterlife - no messing around with Ghostly Powers or trying to achieve still more goals. Jacoban shepherds are all trained in Mediumism specifically so they can communicate with Ghosts and help them move onto their next destination - especially since the clock is ticking for many Ghosts, and they only have so long before they are banished to the Netherworld.

The Netherworld

The Netherworld is not where any good and faithful Jacoban wants to end up. While it’s not a place of torment, it’s someplace far, far worse: it’s a place where a soul is simply forgotten, fading farther and farther from memory until there is eventually nothing left of them. Sometimes, the departed can attempt to communicate from the Netherworld (say, during seances), but their communications are often cryptic and sometimes even nonsensical.

Jacobans believe that none of the Watched go to the Netherworld. The Netherworld is exclusively the domain of the UnWatched. Some Jacobans also believe that the souls, as they fade, are turned into raw “soul-stuff” that is recycled into new souls the same way a decomposing body is turned into new life forms. This position is far from being universally accepted, though it has not been declared heretical or anathema (yet).

The Watcher’s Kingdom (The Great Beyond)

The Watcher’s Kingdom (the “Great Beyond” in a more ecumenical parlance) is the place where every good and true Jacoban wants to go. The Watcher’s Kingdom is a land of wonder and plenty; while it’s much like SimEarth, there is no hunger or thirst there, no discomfort, no sweltering heat or bone-chilling cold. Sims are always perfectly content and have everything they could ever want or need. They spend their days (there are no nights in the Watcher’s Kingdom) singing the praises of the Watcher and frolicking with the Holy Llamas. Best of all, Sims there are always Watched by the Watcher, becoming Their delight.

A Sim needs to live an exceptionally good life in order to be eligible to enter the Watcher’s Kingdom - and any Sim who finds themself with the option, whether as a Ghost or at the moment of death, should instantly take it. (Only Watched Sims are even given the option.) Once in the Watcher’s Kingdom, a Sim will never leave, because they will no longer have any incentive to misbehave (and thus be cast out) nor any wish to.

Sims in the Watcher’s Kingdom are occasionally permitted to communicate to living Sims. Sometimes they do so through seances, though this is rare. If a Sim from the Watcher’s Kingdom is permitted to speak with a living Sim, they will typically do so through a holy vision.

Nearly all Jacobans believe that Jacob frequently speaks from the Watcher’s Kingdom - but only to the proxy.

Rebirth

Like the Watcher’s Kingdom, Rebirth is only open to Watched Sims. However, Jacobans have a very ambivalent view of Rebirth. Being Reborn can be a good thing - witness Proxy Agnes I, who continually volunteers for Rebirth so she can continue to do the Watcher’s Will on SimEarth. But it can also be an instrument of punishment. The Watcher has been known to send Sims who displease Them into worse lives in the hopes of teaching them a lesson.

That, after all, is the primary point of Rebirth: paragons like Agnes aside, Sims who are Reborn are those who still have something to learn before they are worthy to enter the Watcher’s Kingdom. Sometimes that something to learn is benign; sometimes it’s a punishment. But even punishment is a cause for hope. As Jacob himself taught, hate is not the opposite of love - indifference is. If the Watcher sends a given sinner into a misfortune-filled life, that means the Watcher cares enough about them to not remove them from the ranks of the Watched and banish them to the Netherworld. And of course, many Sims are Reborn into non-punishing lives, so perhaps having to spend more than one lifetime learning the lessons the Watcher wants one to know isn’t a mark of failure.

Of course, Jacobans and members of other faiths have noticed that entry into the Watcher’s Kingdom opens for many Sims before the option to be Reborn does - and the Jacobans don’t have a good explanation for this. The most they can say is that for some Sims, perhaps ignorance really is bliss.

Everyday and Formal looks.

Nadya didn't know she could like someone like Iris. A Romantic, Disruptive Music Lover, Nadya always thought she was the sort of person to live for the drama. She chose to go into Social Media as an Internet Personality, for Mother Nature's sake!

Athletic and PJs.

She thought she liked the bad boys, too. Just look at her ex (Joe Trader).

And then she met Iris. Sweet, loyal, bookish Iris. Nadya should have rolled her eyes. Should have sniggered behind her hands. Should have made her naive little roommate the subject of prank videos until she moved out.

Party and Swim.

Instead, Nadya found herself opening up to Iris - talking about being a Muser who wanted to be a Musical Genius, but shying away from pursuing those dreams for fear of failure. Talking about how Joe broke her heart. Talking about how she loves mischief, but isn't sure how she can be a prankster and get the love and affection she craves.

Iris opened up to her, too.

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

And when it comes to Iris's parents - Nadya cannot say she loves what she hears.

What is their problem? Being a Fairy is just as valid as being a tech-obsessed weirdo. More valid, even - Fairies aren't the ones turning the planet into a (literal) dumpster fire.

So their kid isn't like them. So what? The way Nadya sees it, Iris's parents have two choices before them: they can accept their wonderful, smart sweetheart of a daughter exactly the way she is, or they can lose her forever.

Normie looks - yes, Nadya has them!

And should they choose wrong, well. Then they can face the Wrath of Nadya.

Because Nadya isn't sure how exactly how she feels about her roommate, but she's already decided one thing:

Nobody - nobody - is allowed to hurt Iris Ladipo.

The Treaders of the Occult, of course, are a diverse group of believers with a presence in many lands, so it stands to reason that their temples are just as diverse. Temples by and large follow (and in turn influence) local building styles and are constructed of local materials. Prominent examples include the Mountain Temple in Mt. Komorebi and Tinsu Temple in Tomarang. Shrines are even more diverse than temples, since they often start out as natural landmarks. Prominent examples include the Cave Shrine in Mt. Komorebi and the Historic Shrine on Yukimatsu.

In addition to sheer diversity of architectural form and ornamentation, temples also vary wildly in their purpose and features. Yes, a temple’s primary purpose is to play host to the worship of its patron Watcher-being - but most temples do much more than that. They can serve as cemeteries, hospitals, orphanages, wedding venues, homes for wandering ghosts, residences for priests, and more. In game terms, temples will often be classed as cemeteries, wedding venues, or custom venues.

Still, ancillary purposes aside, a temple’s main purpose is to worship its patron Watcher-being. Virtually all temples will include an altar dedicated to that Watcher-being in a central location as well as smaller worship spaces. The temple will also include areas for meditation and contemplation, allowing Sims to come in closer contact with the Watcher-being on their own terms. Most temples are dedicated to only one Watcher-being, though some may have altars for multiple closely related Watcher-beings.

In the old days, temples used to be entirely funded by their priesthoods - and a priesthood’s economic savvy would make all the difference for the temples they founded and ran. These days, temples are classed as independent not-for-profit organizations. They often make use of a wide variety of funding streams. Donations are of course a vital part of this. Many temples will also charge straightforward fees for certain rituals like weddings/marriage blessings and funerals. (Often, but not always, these fees will be waived or reduced for Sims undergoing genuine financial hardship.) Some priests also practice traditional handicrafts and prepare goods for sale that will help to fund the temples.

Priests are the ones primarily responsible for maintaining temples in a physical as well as financial sense. In the old days, priests would take great pride in handling all cleaning and maintenance tasks themselves, reasoning that one could serve a Watcher-being by sweeping the courtyard as they could by praying at the altar. These days, most daily tasks are handled by priests (and occasionally by worshipers). But buildings have become more complicated over the years, and risk tolerance has shrunk. Most priesthoods won’t hesitate to hire contractors for specialized or potentially dangerous tasks. After all, while one can certainly serve a Watcher-being by fixing the roof on their temple, one can’t serve them by falling off that roof.

Everyday and Formal looks.

Iris has always been something a flower child. Mystical, Loyal, and a Bookworm, she loved reading stories about magical Fairies living just outside the stultifying borders of the Coast of Adhmor. And though her parents signed her up for code camps and robotics classes, she was always far more drawn to nature than technology.

Athletic and PJs.

That shouldn't have been a problem. Her parents always said they wanted her to be happy. Well, Iris wants to be happy as a Fairy. She has the Fairy Influence bonus trait and the Fairy Stories aspiration and everything. What's so wrong about that?

Party and Swim.

It can't be that she's living with Nadya, can it? If it is, her parents - especially her par, Ayo - can shove it. She knows that Ayo used to date Elric DeMuray before they settled down with her mom. Ayo can't fault her for dating (maybe??? if Nadya is even into it??) a Fairy of the same biological sex when they did the same thing!

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

And if it's not that ... then Iris has no idea what it is. All she knows is that her mom looks so sad and guilty (???) when they talk. And her par is impossible to read.

Whatever it is, she wishes they'd just tell her. Then they could move past it. Or not. Because no matter what her parents say, Iris has already made her decision.

She will become a Fairy. And she'll do it by Nadya's side.

Or at least, that’s how the legends go. None of these temples survive to the present day. They’ve all been destroyed by the Watcherian faiths, or else - worse! - taken over by the Watcherian faiths and converted to their worship.

So the Cult of the Cowplant has pivoted. Since the beginning of Watcherian persecution, they moved their worship from the sprawling temples to smaller, more intimate shrines. Today, the persecution is over (at least the overt, violent type), but the shrines remain.

Cult of the Cowplant shrines are intentionally (relatively) small and close to nature. This is not the place for grand architecture and soaring ambition. While no two shrines are exactly alike, there is a heavy emphasis on using sustainable, local materials in as natural a style as possible. Cultists try to leave as much of the surroundings of shrines intact as possible, preferring natural wildness to any attempt at formal landscaping. Moreover, they prefer to build their shrines in the ruined, half-wild spaces of the world. This is a powerful symbolism - and realistically, purchasing the land is a lot cheaper this way.

Most shrines are dedicated to a single divine, though some divines with a familial or marital relationship may claim spaces in each other’s shrines (so Sylvia and the Grim Reaper or Sylvia with either of her parents. Nobody is crazy enough to put Spruce and Mother Nature in the same shrine). But the shrine will always be decorated according to the aesthetic and function of the primary divine. 

In addition to an altar for worship, shrines will also contain practical, useful spaces. Many shrines will include gardening space, a classroom for lessons in useful arts, and a small studio for yoga and meditation. And of course, every shrine has a cowplant. Whether the cowplant is inside or outside depends on the exact layout of the space and the amount of land the shrine has to work with.

The Cult’s penchant for reclaiming half-abandoned space (read: cheap real estate) has led them to make some interesting choices. They’ve taken the ruins from the bluffs on Windenburg’s Crumbling Isle and turned it into a shrine to Mother Nature. They also have their eye on the derelict Sprucewood Square in Evergreen Harbor. (It has Spruce in the name! It’s a sign!) Because the Cult wants their shrines to still be useful to the communities they call home, they can take the form of a number of lot types. Parks, national parks, recreation centers, community gardens, and special lot types are all viable options.

If the Cult had their way, they would simply move into abandoned spaces and turn them into worship spaces, building and maintaining them as a community effort, no money required. Legalities being what they are, shrines do have to be funded. Most shrines are set up as independent not-for-profits. Volunteers provide most of the day-to-day maintenance and cleaning. Exceptionally well-funded shrines may have full-time paid staff to take care of this sort of thing. Pretty much all shrines have to hire paid contractors for specialty work. As much as some of them would like to embrace a DIY spirit and save money by having believers do all the work, the truth is that none of them could afford the insurance hike if someone were to get electrocuted or fall off the roof doing work they were in no way qualified for. 

Performing work around the shrine is a way some Cultists attempt to “right the scales” when they have done wrong - but virtually no druid would suggest this. They’re far too cognizant of how Watcherian religions abused this sort of power. The most they’ll do is tell a believer who shows up offering to help what needs doing most.

Ayo and Flora got her shortly after Iris moved out. Apparently the house felt far too big and empty, so they got some company at the local shelter.

Miss Bhean is a very Loyal pup, a bit Jumpy, and quite the Sleuth. She loves her Sims and being part of her new family. She just wishes she understood why people keep sniggering when they hear her name. What's so funny about Bhean?